Paid holiday on poll day: Notification

Kolkata: The state Labour department on Thursday issued a notification directing all employers of any business trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishments to grant paid holiday on Saturday, July 8, in all the districts which will have Panchayat polls.

The move is to ensure that the workmen who are voters in the three-tier Panchayat Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad can exercise their right of franchise.

The notification has clarified that daily wage/casual workers are also entitled to a holiday and wages on the poll day as provided in Section 1358 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.

According to the notification, directions have been issued to all shops, commercial and industrial establishments to grant a paid holiday to all categories of workers and employers on the poll day.

The rural elections in the three-tier Panchayat will be held in 20 districts namely Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, South Dinajpur, North Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Nadia, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, West Midnapore and East Midnapore. Polls to Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samitis will also be held in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

The state government in an earlier notification had already declared a holiday in schools and colleges in the districts which will be witnessing Panchayat polls on Saturday. The elections will start at 7 am and will be held till 5 pm.